Dice, Traps, and the Art of Unlocking What Should Probly Stay Closed

A Thief’s Guide to Tactile Lockpicking

The forest swallows you whole—thick pines murmuring overhead, the path barely a suggestion beneath your boots. The invitation in your hand hums with quiet purpose, its edges gilt with strange symbols. Then, through the trees: a crooked little house, its door a puzzle of dark wood and iron. A slit glints at eye level, just the size of the parchment you carry. You slide it through, and after a hissed argument and the screech of something heavy being dragged aside, the door yawns open.

Inside, the air is vast. To your right, a wild-eyed man kneels before a chest, his picks flashing silver. Click. The lid creaks open—only to reveal another chest nestled inside. He groans and starts anew, muttering about "damned nesting boxes." The sound of his labor fades as a voice rings out from across the room: "Ah! You’re here just in time." Shadows shift, revealing a circle of chairs. A hand gestures to an empty seat. "Sit, sit. We’re about to begin."

The others grin like they know a secret. The door behind you shuts swiftly and locks itself.

…and welcome back everyone. I’m sitting here thinking about what I want to do this week. I’ve shoved out so many different mechanics this month that I’m not sure if I want do continue down on that streak. Should I attempt to not to trip over the obvious redundancy; or will I review some of the amazing games I’ve been playing lately.

I like to stack up the reviews for the winter months when I’m not feeling quite as creative, you know? I’m more focused on what’s going on inside and solitaire table top games are wonderful tools for bringing the inside out where we can take a better look. Winter is a good time to focus on spending more time with the self, learning to find connection and meaning in the home; in the self.

I guess it’s wise to work that muscle while I can, so how about lock picking? Yes, I’ve taken a stab at lock picking in the past. Usually I come back and break down the same idea and refine and simplify it. Not going to do that this time, not really…

Let’s take a fresh look at lock picking from a new perspective.

A Brief Look at Lock Picking Mechanics

But first, lets take a quick look at what’s already been done.

Lock picking in tabletop RPGs has evolved quite a bit over the years, starting with the early days of Dungeons & Dragons, where thieves relied on a simple percentage roll to crack locks. Advanced D&D kept this approach, sticking with percentile-based “Open Locks” checks, but it wasn’t exactly interactive.

By D&D 3rd Edition, the system shifted to a d20 roll against a set Difficulty Class, making skill ranks and modifiers more impactful. D&D 5E streamlined it further, rolling with Thieves' Tools proficiency against a DC, keeping things simple but effective.

Meanwhile, Shadowrun expanded the concept beyond physical locks, integrating electronic hacking alongside traditional mechanical methods. Over in Call of Cthulhu, lock picking remained a high-stakes affair, using a percentile roll where tension often came from modifiers and the looming sense of dread.

Then you’ve got Blades in the Dark, which shakes things up by emphasizing position and effect over pure dice rolling, making the process feel more like a cinematic moment than a mechanical challenge.

So from that I know, that personally I want something that’s more ‘interactive’, but not something that bogs me down. Unless of course I want to be. There are certain cinematic moments that occur in role playing, especially when you’re by yourself and your imagination is extending itself. Moments when the pressure build up is vital to the experience. When time slows down and the camera’s get in tight on that lock and your shaky hands.

For moments where it counts, there should be some optional rules that can help facilitate the need for more details, should you want them.

Having a wider angle to view the world allows one to dismiss a bit more opinion to make room for a broader understanding. Keeping that in mind, let’s first explore the pro’s and cons of both a skill-less, and skilled approaches.

Do Skills Matter?

First and foremost, let’s decide what is, and what is not important. How about that? This is my brainstorming pattern when developing new mechanics. First I break down the outer fringes, such as whether or not skills should matter. And you should decide on your own as well.

Does your character or, whomever, have lock picking skills, and do you want them to be general or dynamic? Would you like them to be more luck based, skilled based, or perhaps even based on a more stiff dynamics, such as a sliding scale? For example more stressful situations create a increase in mistake making, while more relaxing situations give a slight increase due to the ability to focus.

Do you care about these aspects at all? What extra details should be included as optional should we need them? Finding a balance between what is enough and what is too much requires some forethought, flexibility and a time machine.

But first, let’s start with the the pros and cons of a ‘Skill-less’ approach.

Skill-Less Approach: Pros & Cons

A skill-less system generally means that lock picking is handled using a more generalized stat—like Dexterity—without a specific "Lockpicking" skill attached. This approach can be great for a few reasons:

Pros:

• Streamlined & Fast – No need to track a specific skill; just roll against a Dex stat or a general ability check. Keeps things moving.

• Encourages Creative Thinking – Players might rely more on roleplaying their character's background and approach rather than simply checking a skill box. If a rogue-type character has high Dex, it’s reasonable to assume they could figure out a lock.

• Less Mechanical Overhead – Works well in systems that favor simplicity or freeform gameplay, reducing unnecessary skill bloat.

Cons:

• Ignores Skill Growth – A character doesn’t necessarily “learn” from their experiences in a tangible way. If lock picking is just a Dex check, how does someone get better at it beyond increasing Dex?

• Lacks Differentiation – It doesn’t allow for a clear distinction between someone who dabbles in lock picking and someone who’s actually an expert. A high-Dex fighter could be just as good at locks as a lifelong rogue.

• Misses the Maintenance & Learning Aspect – Lock picking isn’t just about nimble fingers; it requires understanding lock mechanisms, maintaining tools, and adapting techniques. Ignoring this makes it feel less like a learned skill and more like a raw physical talent.

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Skill-Based Approach: Pros & Cons

Now, if you tie lock picking into a dedicated skill—whether it's under Dex, Int, or a mix of both—you get a different kind of experience.

Pros:

• Encourages Character Progression – A skill system lets a character grow in lock picking, improving through experience and investment. They can go from clumsy novice to seasoned expert.

• Separates the Skilled from the Lucky – Having a skill score means that just being nimble (high Dex) isn’t enough—you need training and knowledge. This prevents a random high-Dex barbarian from suddenly being a master locksmith.

• Supports Roleplay Depth – If a character has put points into a lock picking skill, it says something about their background. Did they train with thieves? Were they a locksmith’s apprentice? It adds narrative weight.

Cons:

• Can Slow Things Down – More specific skills mean more things to track, which can slow gameplay if the system isn’t streamlined.

• Potential for Skill Tax – Some systems force players to dump points into a skill just to be functional, making it feel like a mandatory tax rather than a meaningful choice.

• Locks Become Obstacles, Not Opportunities – If the skill is too restrictive, failed rolls can lead to dead ends. A skill-less approach might allow for more creative problem-solving instead of relying on "roll to win."

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Core Mechanics Overview

I’d like to try and include something that marks all the boxes and fits everyone’s taste, but we all know that’s not going to happen. People have different play styles. No where, more so then with solitaire players who roll their own in an eclectic boiling pot of common solitaire based systems and their own personalized home brews.

So let’s look a creating a flexible, modular system that retains the simplicity while layering in optional mechanics for depth.

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Core System – Detailed Breakdown

Here is a streamlined lockpicking system that uses Dexterity (Dex) as the core stat, paired with stacked dice to represent tumblers and traps. Designed for quick play with minimal tracking. Roll and go.

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Building a Lock

Locks are defined by Difficulty (1–4), determining the number and type of tumblers. The system uses:

• d6: (Several) Stable tumblers (standard).

• d10: Unstable/damaged/specially designed tumblers (may slip).

• Red d10: Trap die used for both discovered and later in the optional rules, Disarming Traps.

Lock Difficulty Table:

Let’s say we’ve rolled or encountered a ‘Hard’ lock, which means we need to roll 3d6 (3 six-sided dice) plus a single d10 (ten-sided die). Roll them all at once and stack them randomly, or roll one at time, placing each die individually.

Above, I’ve rolled a 6, a 3 (trapped) an 8 (funky, or harder to set tumbler) and a 5. That’s what the lock looks like internally. If you know about lock picking, you know that each tumbler as a certain position (height) it needs to be at in order for the lock to open. Think of the values on the Tumbler Dice as different heights, or positions needed. The higher the number, the harder that tumbler is to set.

Pull out the needed number of dice based on the Tumblers needed for a given difficulty. For example a Hard lock uses 3d6 and a d10 (Two six-sided dice and one ten-sided die). I like to pick them randomly from a bag, roll then lay them flat, atop one another as I set each tumbler.

Picking the Lock

Trap Detection:

Traps can be assumed to be present in any and or all locks, or just those listed as such. Check out the Optional Rules that follow to make traps more interesting and not just damage causing.

To check for traps:

• Roll the red d10 (Trap Die) when attempting to set each tumbler for the first time.

• On a result of 1–3: Trap found.

  • Check the d6, on a 1–2 the trap is triggered. On a 3–6, it’s been detected but has not triggered. Later, when attempting to Set any Tumbler roll the Trap Die after every attempt. Found traps trigger on a 1-3. Optional rules exist for disarming traps, otherwise, assume they trigger as discussed above.

  • 4–10: Safe, no trap detected, keep rolling the Trap Die until either trap is found, or all the tumblers are set. If all tumblers set and no trap is found, there either is no trap, or it didn’t go off… maybe it was too old, or maybe you are just lucky…

But wait… What happens when a trap goes off?

How about, you tell me? Keeping things simple, roll 2d10 on the table above. Access damage as usual, or by rolling a d6, or d8 for example.

…and what about disarming a trap?

What about testing the result against your Dex or similar value? Roll under for success. Go over and it triggers the trap. We’re keeping it simple here. Check out the Optional Rules for a disarming mechanic that’s a bit more detailed.

Check, Weak, Damaged Tumblers (d10s)

After setting a d10 tumbler, keep in mind that it’s prone to slipping. During any tumbler checks, roll any d10 tumblers in your stack (or after each attempt). Any results ≤3 (less then 3) and the tumbler falls—remove it from the stack. It needs to be re-rolled on it’s next turn.

Otherwise, the d10 tumbler remains set as long as it’s value is 4 or higher. Any slipped d10’s need to be rolled on again for a new value, which will now be used to set it again.

You can either decide the lock’s difficulty or roll a d4 to determine it—keep it simple. Choose based on your mood, the scene, or what fits best. To adjust difficulty, roll a d4 and add or subtract 1 or 2. If the result goes over or below the range, wrap around (e.g., 5 becomes 1, -2 becomes 3). To set a minimum difficulty, like Medium or higher, add +1 to all rolls except on a 4.

That’s it for the base mechanic…

Almost.

One thing I didn’t cover was how many turns you can take before your tool breaks, or the lock just can’t take anymore and jams up completely. Or perhaps whatever is chasing you has caught up and you’ve either succeeded in unlocking the door, or you are going to have to face it.

Currently its unlimited tries for sake of simplicity, but you could easily plug in a limit of some sort. For example, set at timer on your phone, or alarm clock. Give yourself a set time. 1 minute for an easy lock, 2 for Medium, 3 for Hard and 4 for Master locks.

Face the alarm so that you cannot see the time limit for extra fun.

Alternatively you can also use Tool Maintenance:

Tool Maintenance (Optional Depth)

Lockpick Quality: Start with 3 uses. On a failed tumbler roll, lose 1 use.

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Simple right? Takes a few seconds to roll out a lock with a given set of tumblers, then check to see, in an interactive way, if we are able to pick the lock. I love that this takes an otherwise mundane experience and gives it some tactile depth.

And that’s all your really need for a simple lock picking mechanic. But we’re not going to stop there, below are some Optional Rules that can be use to further deepen the experience.

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Optional Modules

Have some time to fill in some more details? Great, let’s dive in with an alternate Trap Detection system.

Lock Complications (d6 Table)

Roll when a trap is triggered or when you fail a tumbler roll. And just how do you fail a tumbler roll? Well, I’ve no idea. Really, I’ve not thought about it until just this second. So let’s assume you are always rolling for traps, and any time you roll a 10 (0) on a d10, a complication has occurred.

When a lock is Jammed we’re going to assume it’s because we set a tumbler, usually the last one, to a false location, which seizes the next tumbler. Meaning we need to go back and reroll that previous tumbler and set it again according to it’s new value. Or you can just assume this room, chest, or whatever, is off limits and move on…

Disarm Mechanics: The Tension Stack

When a trap is detected, the red d10 becomes the core of a disarm challenge.

1. Build the Disarm Stack

• Place the red d10 (trap die) in the center.

• Add 1d6 per lock difficulty around it (e.g., Hard lock = 3d6 encircling the d10). These represent "trap components" (wires, pressure plates, etc.).

2. Disarm Steps

Roll over the d6’s value with the Trap Die (d10) or Roll 3d6 ≤ Dex. Succeed to remove one d6 from the stack.

• Success: Die is removed.

• Failure: Tumbler is Jammed. If 2 or more of Tumblers become jammed, the trap triggers.

• Special Rule for d10 (Trap Core):

  • To remove it, roll 3d6 ≤ Int (logic to defuse the heart of the trap).

  • Failure: Immediate trap effect + lock jams.

3. Time Pressure (Optional)

• Each attempt consumes 1 turn. After 3 turns, roll the red d10:

  • 1–3: Trap escalates

Above, I’m working out a Medium difficulty Trap. I need to roll over the d6’s with the Trap Die (d10). Or Roll 3d6 and roll under my Dex. I figure it’s easier to just roll the Trap Die.

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Alternate Trap Tables:

These trap tables add addition effects. Not all traps cause damage and just because you’ve triggered a trap, it doesn’t mean the lock is now unusable. Less damaging traps generally don’t cause damage. Some traps should be treated as narrative triggers.

Or…

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And… that’s it for this week. I hope you find this useful, and if you use it or improve it, let me know! I’d love to hear about it.

I appreciate you all very much and hope you have an amazing week. I’m heading into Spring… more like skipping Spring and heading into summer. But I’ve got lots of herbs coming back to my garden and that excites me quite a bit.

Speaking of, if you’re at all interested in Herbs as Medicine please check out my new blog, The Wise Weed. A new weekly publication, with new work every Friday evening.

Take care of yourselves, and one another. We’re all we’ve got and together we’re stronger. See you all next week!